FormerReal Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks has revealed why she decided to give her son Ayden $150,000 for his 13th birthday.
The reality star, 49, opened up about the extravagant birthday gift during an interview with People, where she revealed that her eldest son had asked for either a “dirt bike or a way to make money”.
“He said for his birthday he either wanted a dirt bike or a way to make money,” Parks said. “And so I said: ‘Well definitely not gonna give you a dirt bike to kill yourself. I will give you $150,000 for you to buy a piece of property.’”
Parks continued: “And so now he’s basically trying to figure out if he wants to do a little multi-unit duplex, you know, his own little rental properties.”
According to the mother of two, her oldest son has always been focused on increasing his personal profits, and allegedly has his sights set high on becoming a millionaire by the time he turns 25. Parks also admitted the 13-year-old was “big into” cryptocurrency and has been talking nonstop about investing in residential buildings. Now, with 12 years to go, the Married to Medicine star wants to help her son pursue his dreams.
Parks also told the outlet she felt the need to take advantage of her current financial situation and provide her sons with opportunities she was not granted growing up.
She said: “I don’t come from a bad family. I come from a middle-class family of educators. However, they didn’t have the type of income that I have.”
According to the female entrepreneur, her 13-year-old son isn’t the only one interested in money-making investments, as her 10-year-old son Dylan also loves “anything about making money in cryptocurrency”.
Although Parks acknowledged that her sons can “be a bit bougie,” she said their awareness about money stems from a desire to be “financially stable” as adults. She said her children also know to be appreciative of what they have.
“They have great manners. I’m very proud to call them mine,” she said, before listing her non-negotiables for her children:“Be respectful of adults, clean up behind yourself and be grateful.”
“I definitely will take their phone away and follow through with that because I worked too hard for them not to appreciate,” she added.
Although some fans questioned the generous gift for a 13 year old, others praised the gesture.
“That’s awesome! It’s never too early to start teaching financial literacy,” one person tweeted, while another said: “He’s getting a head start. These are the type of gifts we should be trying to give our children instead of purely material things.”
Parks filed for divorce from her ex-husband, Apollo Nida, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for identity theft and fraud, in 2014. Their divorce was finalised in 2017.
